Buoyant garment structure



Aug. 16, 1966 M. H. oLlNK UoYANT GARMENT STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1964 #fram/zy INVENTOR.' Mmm/cf A. 0 Z /A/K Aug. 16, 1966 M. H. O'LINK 3,266,069

BUOYANT GARMENT STRUCTURE Filed July l?, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,266,069 BUOYANT GARMENT STRUCTURE Maurice H. OLink, St. Cloud, Minn., assignor to Stearns Manufacturing Company, St. Cloud, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 17, 1964, Ser. No. 383,375 1 Claim. (Cl. 9-341) This invention relates to improvement in a buoyant type of outdoor garment such as a garment capable of supporting a person in a body of water. Such a garment is very desirable for various types of outdoor activity such as for hunting, fishing and for outings generally.

Buoyant garments of like kind within the knowledge of the invention are generally of integral construction.

It is an object of the invention herein to provide a garment comprising a shell and a buoyant portion having separate utility as a garment but being particularly adapted to have an integral relationship with said shell to form a unitary garment therewith.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple and eifective construction in forming a garment of buoyant material.

More specilically it is an object of this invention to provide a skeleton construction to link slabs of buoyant material together to form a basic buoyant garment and to removably secure the same to an appropriate shell to form a buoyant outer garment of the type indicated.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a garment according to the invention herein in open condition showing some portions in dotted line and some portions thereof being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the garment shown in FIG. 1 shown in closed condition on a reduced scale;

FIG. 3 is a View in front elevation on a reduced scale of a portion of the garment shown in FIG. 1 with some portions thereof shown in dotted line and a portion thereof being broken away;

FIG. 3A is a View in horizontal section taken on line 3A-3A of FIG. 3 as indicated;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that in FIG. 1 showing a modification thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4 as indicated; and

FIGS. 6-8 form a composite view in rear elevation of the inner portion of the garment shown in FIG. 4 in vopen condition with some portions thereof broken away.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, an outer garment in the form of a finger-tip length wind breaker type of coat is indicated generally by the character 10. Said garment comprises two separable portions indicated respectively by the characters 12 and 14. The portion 12 is the outer portion of the garment and will be referred to as the shell. The portion 14 is the inner or liner portion of the garment and will be referred to as the vest.'

The shell 12 will be formed of suitable weatherproof materialsuch as treated poplin or vinyl foam material. The specic general construction of the shell or its adaptability to particular weather conditions is not a part of the invention herein. Said shell comprises generally a back portion 16, and chest portions 17 and 18.

Particular attention is now directed to the vest 14. Said vest is comprised of outer and inner layers `of material 20 and 21 respectively. An element of novelty of the invention lies in these two layers of material being ICC formed of a very coarse mesh or netting type of material to provide relatively large openings or interstices therein. Said material may be formed of suitable acrylic or treated cotton bers. It is essential that there be a free and relatively unobstructed llow of air through said layers 20 and 21.

Disposed between said layers of mesh material 20 and 21 are -slabs of substantially buoyant material 23. Material such as kapok is suitable but a preferred material is a foam plastic material such as expanded closed cell polyvinyl chloride. This latter material is free from water penetration, it has substantial buoyancy providing a very satisfactory floating characteristic and it forms an excellent lightweight insulation. This material is Well known in the art. A -suitable slab of such material would be from 1/2 inch to 1% inches in thickness depending on the floating capacity or degree of buoyancy that is desired in a given garment.

Said slabs of material 23 'may be retained between the layers of mesh 20 and 21 in various Ways. Said slabs of material 23 are here indicated as comprising a back portion 25 and chest portions 26 and 27. Said layers of mesh material 20 and 21 are stitched together about the respective portions of said slabs of material, as indicated by the character 29, to form pockets to Iretain said slab portions in their respective positions. Extending along the front edge portion of said vest 14 is secured a slide fastener 30 having its complementary portion 32 installed at the inner -side of said shell 12 as indicated whereby said vest may be removably secured within said shell.

Thus in particular, said vest may be integrally combined with said shell to form a floatable life saving garment thereof. In addition, said vest provides unusually eifective insulation while adding but relatively little weight to the garment as a whole.

Particular attention is drawn to the coarse mesh material Ztl and 21 enclosing the buoyant insulating slabs 23. The buoyant material is exposed and is not burdened by a coating of material which of itself may have a tendency to absorb water and thus place a load on the buoyant material and delay the drying out period of the garment when it has been submerged.

Said vest 14 has independent utility in being adapted to be worn separately as a life saving garment, and although not here shown, said slide fastener may readily be adapted to engage and close to adjacent front edge portions of said vest.

With reference to the oute-r garment or shell 12, a pair of D rings 55 are respectively secured at the lower central portion of the inner back of said shell and at the lower inner front portion thereof, as shown in FIG. l. Adapted to be secured by said D rings is a crotch strap 57 having small dowels or pins 57a at either end thereof to be disposed through the D rings to secure the respective ends of the strap thereto. Thus if the wearer should fall into a body of water, the crotch strap will prevent the garment from riding upwardly on the body of the wearer.

Reference is had now to the species of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 8.

The outer shell 35 of the garment indicated generally by the character 34 is substantially of the same construction as the shell 12.

In connection with said shell 35 is an inner portion or vest 38. Said vest is suitably formed of the same type of buoyant material in the form of slabs as said Vest 14 above described. The vest 38 embodies three portions or slabs of said buoyant material, namely, a back portion 44 and chest portions 43 and 45. Respectively overlying one side of each of said portions and extending outwardly thereof to form free edge portions or extended edge portions are sheets of coarse mesh or net material 40, 41 and 42.' This material may be formed suitably of acrylic fibers or treated cotton fibers. A large mesh material on the order of netting is preferable. Said free edge portions are indicated generally by the characters 40a, 41a and 42a. For reinforcement said extended edge portions may be doubled and stitched to appear as illustrated. A tape may be secured to the edge portions if desired.

Said mesh material is used as a skeleton to link together said slabs of buoyant material to form an integral garment. Said mesh material may be secured to the buoyant material by a suitable adhesive.

As noted in FIGS. 6-8, the slabs of buoyant material 43-45 and the overlying mesh material are shown shaped to drape about the body of a wearer with the upper portions thereof being appropriately cut out to iit about the armpit and shoulder portions of a wearer. A plurality of eyelets 47 are secu-red in spaced relation along the extended edge portions of the mesh material as indicated. Said eyelets along adjacent edge portions are shown adjustably linked by laces 46. Eyelets at the upper back and shoulder free edge portions 49C, 41C and 42C respectively are provided with laces 46 also with said laces running between adjacent of these edge portions to form shoulder straps or supports.

Spaced about said portions 43445 and adjacent the edge portions thereof are a plurality of snap type of fastening members 49 secured thereto in a customary manner, and corresponding complementary portions 50 are secured about the inner side of the shell 35 to be in register therewith.

By means of the laces 46, the slab portions 43, 44 and 45 with their respective portions of overlying mesh material are formed into an integral garment adjustable as to size.

Thus the vest portion 38 will be removably secured within the shell 35 to form a life saving garment for water safety purposes. Further, said vest portion provides a lightweight effective insulation for said shell.

Said vest portion 3S may be tightened or loosened about the body of the wearer by adjustment of the laces 46. It is here noted that all of the snap fasteners 49 need not be used. Those at the central portion of the garment may be left free to permit the laces between the adjacent edges of the portions 43-44 and 44-45 to be loosened or tightened as may be desired.

The vest portion 38 may be worn separately as a lifesaving garment. The remote edges of the portions 43 and 45 may be laced together to secure the garment about the body of the wearer. The shoulder supports above described will be used with the vest as a separate garment and it need not be used with the vest secured within the shell 35.'

Said vest portion 38 forms a highly eticient lifesaving garment formed principally of slabs of buoyant material free from the burden of overlying layers of water absorbent material. The garment is free from water penetration and dries Arapidly after `having been submerged. There is very little penetration of water, if any, with respect to the layer of mesh material.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a simply constructed skeleton-like garment having independent utility as a lifesaving garment and being adapted to be readily secured Within a shell portion of a garment to become integral therewith to form both a lifesaving garment and a warmly insulated garment.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the part-s, without departing from the scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists of a structure capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and dened in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A buoyant garment of the type indicated having in combination,

unitary slab portions of buoyant material respectively forming the back and chest portions of a garment, coarse mesh lmaterial overlying and containing each of said slab portions separately,

lacing means joining said slab portions securing one side edge portion of each of said chest portions and the shoulder portions thereof to corresponding edge portions of said back portion to form a vest-like garment,

a shell forming a garment, and

means removably securing said vest-like garment to the inner side of said shell.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,044,652 11/1912 Hartwig 9-329 1,291,448 1/1919 Edmonds 9-342 2,692,994 11/1954 King et al. 9-342 X 2,842,785 7/1958 Sieverts 9-342 X FOREIGN PATENTS 473,987 10/ 191,4 France.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED E. CORRIGAN. Examiner. 

